PHILLIPS – A Rangeley man was in critical condition Thursday night after a head-on crash on Route 4 left him pinned inside his mangled minivan.

George Adams, 76, suffered a broken leg, cuts and possible internal injuries in the 3:40 p.m. wreck, police said.

Investigators said Adams was driving north on Route 4 when his Dodge Caravan apparently drifted over the center line and into oncoming traffic.

In a southbound pickup truck, 25-year-old Justin Saars of Turner was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision.

Saars and his 23-year-old brother escaped the crash with minor injuries but Adams was trapped in his van for several minutes as rescue crews from Farmington struggled to free him.

Adams was taken by ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, according to Maine State Police Trooper Derrick Record. He said LifeFlight could not be used to transport the patient because of bad weather.

Saars and his brother were checked at the scene and did not require hospital treatment, Record said.

The afternoon crash backed up traffic on Route 4 while rescue crews responded and police began an investigation. State Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s officials both sent officers to the scene.

Record commended the Farmington Fire Department for its quick response and work to pull Adams from the wreckage.

“They were great,” Record said.

It was not known what caused Adams to lose control of his Caravan and drift into the opposite lane. The crash remained under investigation Thursday night.